Strangeness and Charm
by YoungInexperiencedHopefuls
Summary: Formerly "Breath of Life". There was not one sorcerer in all the five kingdoms who did not want to bring magic back to the land, and some of them along the way helped the most legendary wizard of all time. But there is one witch with a different purpose – after all, Merlin's magic cannot die when he does. Someone has to carry the legacy. Merlin/OC


**STRANGENESS AND CHARM**

**Rating: NC-17 (Or High M) for language and adult situations**

**Pairing: Merlin/OFC**

**Author's Note: This is my first Merlin/OFC one-shot and also my first time writing anything with such a high rating, so please tell me how I did. The title is based off the Florence + The Machine song by the same name and it inspired parts of the story. It's rather good mood music. Also, this story may be continued in a different fic - please let me know if you would like that, and enjoy!**

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More than anything, Jade liked to walk around in the forest after dark on warm nights when the moon was completely filled in and could fully illuminate her path. She could have walked with Necia had she been that desperate for light, but she was alright waiting for those few days of the month that the glow of the sky let her go alone. She felt as though she was transported to a different world, a world where she wasn't so dependent on other people, where her life was her own.

Of course, she felt bad when she thought these things – it wasn't just her life she depended on these people to look after, she loved them like they were her own family. And there was nothing particularly _wrong_ with her life; it could just get lonely, isolated with the same people day in and day out. Her complaints should shrink to nothing, but she was just… _frustrated_.

Stumbling over a few tree roots, she cursed herself for not having Kaia's natural way with the earth. As she felt fallen branches and twigs crack under her feet, she paused so she would be without their sound. Far off into the distance, she saw the familiar glow of fire and strained to listen for voices. There were indeed people there – all men, from what she could hear.

Jade walked as close to the men as she possibly could before jumping into a tree and traveling the rest of the way branch-to-branch, stopping high up in a strong oak and leaning over slightly to get a good view of her "visitors".

The mood seemed light – there was laughter and nothing too intense about their conversation. Jade scanned their faces; looking for some sign she'd met any of them before. She hadn't.

So there were strangers in the forest. She wished she had a way to intimidate them, just so they knew not to overstep boundaries onto her land, but she wasn't very tall or strong and all she had for a weapon was an engraved knife that was more for show than anything – she hardly ever paid attention to how sharp it was.

She supposed everything would be fine even if she didn't approach the strangers, but then she thought of her four adopted sisters – Naiya, Kaia, Necia, and Solana… then of course, there was Solana's seven-year-old daughter Mariam…

It was times like these that Jade felt useless to her family. Necia would have made the fire flare, just to scare them a little. She'd probably laugh, too. Kaia would have made the earth rumble a bit, just to set them on edge. Solana would have set a wind on them, just to make sure they stayed alert. Naiya would have summoned water from the river nearby and made it rain lightly, but only above the strangers' heads, just so they understood the forest was not to be taken lightly.

They had horses and swords and bows and arrows. But something about them was not particularly dangerous. And Jade sensed magic among them… strong magic.

Jade was glad that it had not been one of her sisters that had found the men, and just as she considered getting closer to them to discover this magic-user, a crack of lightning split the sky above her head. It was as though that single bolt had ripped the sky open, for moments later it began pouring rain all over everyone. Thunder rumbled like a giant's roar throughout the forest.

_I hope my family is safely in shelter,_ Jade thought, slinking down the branches of the tree. She heard the men groan loudly as their fire was ruined and their clothes were drenched in the rain. She heard some very anxious-sounding neighs from the horses, and one man stood up to go tend to them. He was tall and slim with black hair and the outfit of what Jade realized must have been a servant.

And if there was a servant apart from all the rest, these men were nobility.

Enough men of this sort had passed through the forest for Jade to become accustomed to their ways. Some were arrogant and believed they owned whatever ground their feet stood on. Some respected the forest and the claims that had been placed upon it and did not disturb the way of life that had been in motion for years. Those men usually made it out better than the former.

Now Jade was soaking wet along with the men, and she felt her socks squish inside her somewhat-too-large boots that let the water in.

"You look like you could use some assistance," Jade remarked as she walked into the sight of the travelers.

"Who are you?" asked a blond man, standing immediately. The four other men around him followed his lead, and the servant came back from the horses to stand with the blond.

"My name is Jade, I live in the forest and I know it well. You picked an interesting time to journey through here – this is the time of year sudden storms always show up. As you can see, they're aptly named."

The rainfall was so heavy, Jade nearly had to spit water out of her mouth as she talked.

"Now," she continued, "will you tell me who you are?"

"King Arthur. Of Camelot."

Jade wasn't sure if she was supposed to bow or not. Solana, being the oldest (and calmest) usually handled opening conversations, especially with important people. After all, they didn't need armies all over the forest because Necia's temper had gotten the better of her again or Naiya (the least trained in her magic) had sent a torrent of water at the Duke of Something-Or-Other's face.

"May I ask where you are headed? I might know a shortcut."

Arthur looked around. The forest seemed infinite, and he told Jade just this.

Jade smiled and shook her head. "To the untrained eye, it might seem that way. But I grew up here, so if you want some shelter from the rain…"

Jade spoke with a light voice, as though she didn't really care whether or not the men stayed out in the rain to be soaking wet for hours and was just making a considerate gesture. But really, her eyes were scanning all of them, looking for signs of magic. She remembered Camelot being one of the kingdoms that not so much frowned upon magic as tried to squash it under the thumb of the king.

"We're just trying to get back to Camelot, Jade. We've been in Mercia for over a month now, and-"

"Camelot's two days away. That's if you're on horseback galloping the whole time. Come with me, I know a place not far from here that can shelter you."

Arthur hesitated. He looked at all his knights and Merlin, trying to decide what would be best for them. Stay in the rain and get sick, or follow this girl.

Merlin, in his own mind, was trying to do the same thing. He wasn't naïve; he knew that trusting every woman that claimed to want to help wasn't an option. But there was just nothing sinister-looking about this girl, even if she was a little strange. There were tattoos up and down her arms, exposed by her sheer-sleeved brown dress, and there were feathers strewn about her hair. Instead of more traditional jewelry, she had two different-size keys hanging from her earlobes and a necklace made of shining stones.

And just as Arthur told her "lead the way", her eyes landed on Merlin's. Though it was difficult to catch in the pouring rain, they flashed that unmistakable shade of amber that Merlin was so familiar with, and Merlin went on high-alert as he reluctantly followed Arthur and the knights. What was he supposed to tell them?

The group of seven walked quickly through the trees, and Jade found that she was able to navigate through the forest without any slip-ups, and soon enough she was at the vine-covered entrance of the cave system that she called home.

"Kaia? Can you let us in?" Jade called out.

"_Us_? Who's _us_?"

"I'll explain when I'm dry!" Jade replied. Slowly, the vines began to crawl back away from the entrance, leaving it open. Everyone rushed inside, and behind them the vines re-tangled themselves.

The women lived in a complex series of caves that were easy to get lost in (Kaia sometimes used vines or rocks to block of entrances to other areas besides the main ones so that they didn't lose Solana's young daughter) and had lived there for most of their lives. Solana was the oldest, followed by Kaia, Necia, Jade, and the youngest of the group known as Gaia's Circle, Naiya. They all worshipped the Goddess of the Earth, and for that reason they lived alone in the forest, honing their powers and bonding together as one. Naiya specialized in water, Kaia in earth, Necia in fire, and Solana in air. Jade was a different sort of magic – she specialized in the magic of spirit. It allowed her to get a vague idea of the emotions of those around her, and she was assured that someday she would be powerful enough to do something as intense as reading a person's mind.

Solana, who acted as a sort of mother-figure for the whole group, had once taken Jade aside and told her just how powerful she was supposedly going to be.

_"Spirit is a rare gift. It is something inside all of us, yet you are one of the few people – _ever_ – who can make it do your bidding."_

_ "I can hardly-"_

_ "But of course, it takes more time than the other elements. And, well, you know how long it took me just to learn how to get control over a simple summer breeze. But Gaia chose _you_, Jade, especially for this. She wouldn't have if she didn't know you could handle it."_

Jade wondered if it was selfish that the burden of knowing this – knowing she was supposed to be all-powerful but never seemed to be able to do anything useful – was what made her bring the men back with her. She never would have had she not detected the magic. The magic was so strong; she _had_ to speak with its owner… but not in front of the king or his knights. She wasn't sure if they knew of the magic, or if magic was even allowed back in Camelot, and she wouldn't want to risk a fellow sorcerer's neck. Not when so many had been slit already, from the tales of other passersby.

Kaia, who stood with her hand still outstretched towards the entrance of the cave, stared at the men. Solana and Necia, who had been sitting with Miriam, quickly stood up, and Jade saw Solana give Miriam a gentle push to get behind her mother as she and Necia formed a protective stance and stepped back slightly. Naiya came forwards and stood next to Kaia.

"It started storming like Gaia's anger outside, and they had nowhere to go…" Jade began to try to explain her actions, but the other women just looked at her skeptically.

"I see," Kaia answered curtly.

"We live in the middle of nowhere," Jade protested, lowering her voice. She was going to continue her argument when Necia spoke.

"You are from Camelot," she observed as she cocked her head to the side, surveying their visitors.

Jade watched Solana's eyes widen in fear and clutch her daughter's hand. Miriam looked at the scene in front of her with nothing but curiosity. Then she looked at her mother, and was confused. Why would her mother be scared of these people?

"Yes, we are," Arthur told Necia, looking her in the eye.

Necia, Kaia, Solana, and Naiya all got into battle-ready stances.

"Then you should be told that we are all creatures of magic and will strike you down where you stand if you try to harm any of us."

Jade whipped around to look at her guests, quick to land on the servant Merlin's face first. He seemed almost elated at the news, and Jade's heart swelled with hope.

"All of you?" one of the knights asked in disbelief. He was darker-skinned than all the rest.

Necia's eyes narrowed. "Yes."

Arthur's eyes fell on Jade. "Did you think this was a good idea to bring us here? Knowing we could have harmed all of you?"

The hope that Jade had previously felt was replaced by irritation. _No good deed goes unpunished._

"Fine. You all can go back out there. Maybe it will flood and you all will drown. And for the record, _one of us_ could have easily taken on you _and _your knights." Jade kept her gaze locked on Arthur's, but inside she was shaking.

"I just wanted to help you," she said, a bit quieter.

"Mate, she has good intentions and a warm place, let's not mess with a good thing, eh?" another knight suggested to Arthur.

"It's not like we're going to put on a bloody magic show for you," Jade grumbled. _Not for _you_, at least. Your servant I have other plans for._ "I was just offering shelter for the night – these storms don't last much longer than that. You can be back on your way to Camelot at first light."

Something about the way Jade spoke calmed Arthur's nerves about being surrounded by those with magic. This was _their_ turf, and he was on it. He caught a glimpse of a small child – a girl – hiding behind the eldest of the women. _Mother and daughter_, the king realized almost immediately. They looked nearly identical.

And Arthur had sworn he would never again kill a child or take their mother away from them.

Jade's voice also calmed her own family. Solana gazed at her with warmth in her eyes – even if Solana had a natural gift for calming those around her, Jade being of the spirit persuasion made her voice almost hypnotic whenever she was trying to convince someone of something. She hardly ever lost an argument.

Turning back to her family, Jade looked at all of them, who had calmed down considerably.

"So, I was going to ask, can we house them for tonight so they don't die a cold and miserable death out there?" she inquired.

"It's not as though we don't have plenty of room," Necia muttered softly to Solana, who still seemed extremely anxious.

"Do you promise to respect our rules, us, and – I'll just say it – not try to kill us while we're sleeping?" Kaia demanded.

"One of us is always awake and could take you all on," Naiya blurted out. Her cheeks flushed as she realized Kaia didn't really need that backup.

"We promise. All of us," Arthur said, looking back at his knights, who saw the look he gave them and quickly nodded enthusiastically. None of them were too keen on going back out into the rain.

"Very well then. I'll be making more dinner, I suppose," Solana said as she gripped Miriam's hand even tighter, leading her farther back into the cave and going down one of many passageways. Kaia followed her.

"Well, those two were Solana and Kaia, I'm Naiya, I'll show you two where you'll be sleeping," Naiya offered, gesturing for the knights who told her their names were Percival and Leon.

"You two – my name is Necia – come with me," Necia instructed. She was followed by the knights Gwaine and Elyan.

"Then the both of you are with me. This way." Jade led the prince and his manservant off into the cave, going through the twists and turns with the knowledge that only someone who had lived there for years could possess.

"Don't worry about getting lost," she told them. "I'll have someone set up a path of crystals or candles or rocks or something for you to follow back into the main part. We will bring you dinner soon."

"Would I be right if I said you all are uncomfortable with us around the, uh, group of people here?" Merlin finally spoke up.

Having finally hearing his voice, Jade looked over her shoulder to meet his eyes. "Yes, we are. Especially so with Solana's daughter, Miriam."

Arthur couldn't reply to this. He couldn't tell Jade that he'd never harmed a child and that he may be against magic but he was above that...

"Well, here we are – we've got two open sections, so if you would like separate quarters, that can be arranged."

Merlin thought this over. It would probably be a good idea to stay with Arthur, but damn it, he spent every waking moment looking after the king. He was surrounded by these people with magic, _his own people_. He had to take advantage of this, and that would be hard with Arthur sharing a room with him.

"Yeah, that'd be good," Merlin said.

"Then Arthur, you're in here. I'm sure you'll be comfortable. There are furs on the bed and means to start a fire so you can warm up." Jade noticed all the vines were gone from every entrance to sections of the caves. _Kaia must have undone them all already. She's honed her powers so well she doesn't even have to be _near _the plants._

"And Merlin, down here." Jade walked a few more steps to another entrance, slowly, building up the courage to ask him what she wanted to do desperately...

"Merlin," she said in a hushed voice.

"Yes?"

She faced him straight on. "You have magic," she whispered. It was so low Merlin could hardly hear it.

"I…"

"Please, you're safe here. You know that, don't you? We would never betray one of our own. Could you sense our magic? The other women have told me they can't and it's just something of my own powers. I specialize in spirit from Gaia, our goddess-" Jade stopped talking and felt her cheeks start to burn as she realized she was rambling on.

"Sorry. What I meant was… I don't know where to start. I've never met someone outside my own family with magic."

"We have time, don't we?" Merlin asked with a small smile as Jade led him into his room.

"Yes, I suppose we do. Now what's a sorcerer like you doing in Camelot? Serving the magic-hating king, of all people?"

Merlin wanted to stop his mouth from spilling out the truth, but finally here was someone who wouldn't judge him and understood being persecuted – women didn't just choose to live in the middle of a deserted forest for nothing – and he only had a short amount of time with her. So it came out.

"I'm actually supposed to change that."

Jade's eyebrows went higher up on her forehead. "Really?"

"I know how ridiculous that sounds." Merlin gave a tired sigh but kept his smile. "It's been challenging, but apparently it's my destiny."

"Destiny? Must be nice to know your destiny. What you're meant for."

Merlin pondered this. "…Sometimes it is. Sometimes I wish I _didn't_ know though. Sometimes it's the only thing keeping me in Camelot, and that can be good or bad."

"Depending on the day?" Jade asked, sympathy coating her voice as she started up a fire in one corner of the room. Merlin went to sit by the flames, feeling his clothes drying and his body warming.

"Yeah. It's actually coming, I think. Albion."

Jade crossed her legs, sitting next to Merlin. "We're all waiting on that day," she told him in what she hoped was an encouraging voice. When he looked at her, she gave him a soft smile.

Merlin meant to look away, but Jade reached up and started wringing out her long dark brown hair. The glow that the fire gave her hair and face made her look almost ethereal next to him. Merlin swallowed. He'd been spending time with almost no one save the knights and Arthur for the last month, and Jade was beautiful, and for a young man this was a very nearly dangerous combination.

_Magic. Magic is what she's here for and what I should be here for, _he reminded himself.

"You know," Jade began, almost as though she was reading his mind, "it was your magic that made me approach you all. As I said, I can sense magic, and yours is so strong it's nearly giving me a headache."

Merlin didn't know whether or not to apologize, but Jade continued talking.

"I can already tell, from just your aura, you're so powerful…" Jade felt the blush creep back onto her face. "If there's anyone who can bring about Albion, it's you."

They were silent. _You idiot,_ Jade berated herself, _you just said _way _too much_.

"Thank you," Merlin said quietly.

"Tell me more about your magic," Jade urged him. "Please?" _Yes, please don't let me blabber on anymore._

"There's, er, not much to tell really. I was born with it. I had a hard time controlling it until I went to Camelot a few years back, and someone finally taught me. I've learned a lot now."

"Hmm, I was sort of in the same situation. I was born to parents who didn't quite know what to do with me, and they heard about a secret society-type group of magic users in the forest, and, well, that's how I ended up here."

"They just gave you away like that?" Merlin asked, fairly shocked by this.

"They… said they wanted what was best for me. And I do truly think that my life is much better living here than it would have been had my parents kept me past the age of five, but I also can't help thinking that they really did it because it would be easiest for them. They could always have more children, after all," Jade sighed.

"Do you really think that?" Merlin felt a twinge of pity for her. At least his mother had loved and accepted him.

"I know that, actually. They weren't exactly subtle about it, and I've always been able to… sense things."

"Sense things?" Merlin asked, sounding a little nervous.

The corners of Jade's mouth twitched upwards.

"Vague things, mostly. I couldn't, say, tell you word-for-word what you are thinking. However…" Jade trailed off, feeling a little wicked. "I _do _know the general idea of the thoughts you're having about me right now."

Now it was Merlin's turn to have his face go bright red, all the way up to the tips of his ears. He looked at the ground, a little ashamed, but unable to deny it.

"Hey, you don't have to be so embarrassed. It's perfectly understandable. At least you're demonstrating self-control. That's more than I can say for some of the visitors we've had here before that one of us just tried to "help out". You'd be surprised, actually."

Merlin, his impure thoughts forgotten, looked at Jade. "Really?"

Jade smirked. "Did you think Solana's daughter appeared out of thin air?" she teased.

Merlin grinned and shook his head. "You're right, I didn't really think about that." In a sudden burst of courage, he somehow managed to ask, "But living in the forest with just the same four women your whole life, surely you get… lonely." Merlin's last word felt flat and awkward as he wasn't quite sure how to ask what he wanted to.

Jade paused as she suddenly felt her mouth go dry and her mind at a loss for words. "I, um… yeah, sometimes. I do get… lonely."

"Have you ever considered leaving?"

A look of guilt flashed across Jade's face. "Yes." Another pause. "More than once. But I just never could. These women are the only family I've ever known. I'm not sure I could function without them. And my magic is still just barely developed…"

_Right, we were talking about magic, _Jade tried to remind herself. _But why do I still really want to dig deeper into the other subject?_

Sex. Solana had explained it to her, as had Necia – she wasn't sure if Kaia or Naiya were experienced at all in that area, but if they were, they'd never felt the need to broadcast it. Jade had never done anything more than kissing some of the traveling men who passed through, but she was an adult and found herself eager to learn more about the actions of love. She just didn't know where she was going to find that.

"Your magic, it's… it's really special. I've never seen anything like it," Merlin said. Jade bit back a smile – she could sense that even though Merlin seemed to be wholeheartedly returning to the subject of magic, corners of his mind were still muddled with thoughts of her.

"Likewise. The enormity of your power is astounding. Guess that just makes us both a little special." Jade suddenly realized that she and Merlin had gotten much closer to each other as Merlin hardly had to reach out to put his hand on hers. Jade jumped a little, but only because his hands were still somewhat cold. To make up for it, she intertwined his fingers with her own, sharing her body heat.

Merlin watched her do this, and then brought his eyes back up to meet her green and gold ones.

"Maybe it's fate," Jade murmured, her eyes dropping down to Merlin's mouth. "Higher beings at work. You and I, two powerful beings of magic, both a little… lonely."

Merlin gave a soft, nervous chuckle. He wanted to do something, _anything_ to show her how attracted he was to her.

"But then again…" she trailed off. "Any one of my family could come in at any minute."

Merlin had decided he was going to kiss her. At least kiss her. "Let them come in, then. You'd think they'd be happy for you."

"Right, but I haven't told them you're magical yet. That you're like us. They're still wary of you. They might think you've decided to seduce me just to get a little bit of satisfaction after being with a witch when magic is outlawed. A little adventure before you go back home to Gaia-Knows-What. A wife? Children?" Jade's voice was low and had started out light, but on her last few words got a little more serious. Merlin realized she was trying to ask him a question.

"Oh! N-no, there's not of that for me back in Camelot, I promise."

"Mm. How can I trust you?" Jade wasn't sure where this new seductive voice had come from, but she was enjoying its test run.

"You could just put your faith in another sorcerer," Merlin suggested, trying to pinpoint the best moment to close the gap between them and let his lips fall on hers.

_"Just trusting" someone didn't work out so well for Solana,_ Jade tried to tell herself. But she was losing herself in the closeness of Merlin, and soon, the taste of his lips. Later, the feel of his hands moving through her hair, then down her neck, then they had nearly reached her chest when she sensed one of the members of Gaia's Circle coming towards the room she had given Merlin.

_Everyone's probably wondering where I am_, she realized in a daze as she pulled away from Merlin slowly, letting her lips linger on his as long as she possibly could. Neither could help stealing a few more soft kisses before Jade jerked away quickly and stood up, taking a few steps away from Merlin.

Just as Jade was beginning to smooth down her hair, Necia appeared in the doorway. She surveyed the scene in front of her and it didn't take her very long to determine what had been happening in the room just seconds before.

"I brought a basin of water for you," she said, keeping her voice level and calm as she looked at Merlin. There was no need to embarrass him right now… Jade, however, she would need to talk to. "And dinner."

Necia held out a silver tray with meat (it looked something like chicken), bread, berries, and a goblet of wine.

"Necia," Jade said quickly, "did you know Merlin has magic?"

Necia stared at Merlin, seeking confirmation.

"Oh, uh, yes, I do," Merlin said.

"Maybe you should tell the others…?" Jade asked hopefully. Necia hesitated.

"Okay. Come tell them with me."

Jade opened her mouth to protest but then realized arguing wasn't going to help her this time, no matter how sweet she made her voice sound. She followed Necia out of Merlin's quarters and farther down into the caves until they were out of earshot of everyone.

"Jade, what are you doing?" Necia asked after a moment's silence.

"With Merlin?"

"Yes."

"I really like him." The words exploded out of Jade's mouth before she could stop them. "He's nice and I like talking about magic with him and he's a good kisser and… I've never-"

"Hang on; I know where you're going with this. Jade, just being with a man for the sake of being with a man isn't a good reason to make a decision like that. If I hadn't come in, would you have ended up in his bed?" Necia asked, straining to get her point across.

"I… uh… fuck," Jade mumbled, unable to come up with a real answer. She saw a surprised look appear on Necia's face – Jade didn't make it a habit to swear.

"Jade, would you-"

"Shit, Necia, I don't _know_! Maybe."

"I don't think that's the right answer right now."

"Come on, it's not like you haven't done it before! What made you decide to sleep with someone?" Jade asked, desperate to get Necia to understand her.

Necia took a deep breath. "Less than what is making you consider sleeping with Merlin. And I was hoping maybe you wouldn't follow my example. I was lucky enough to not end up with child, unlike Solana…" Necia shook her head. "But the next morning, Jade, I woke up and he was gone. I felt hurt… used."

Jade looked at the ground. "You think Merlin's going to do that?" she whispered sadly.

"I don't know. You're the one that's been talking to him."

"He might," Jade said, barely audible.

"Do you want to take that chance?" Necia pressed.

Jade bit her lip, knowing her answer was the wrong one. "Kind of." She had never had a conversation with one of the passerby men before that had made her feel this way. She didn't know when it would happen again. It seemed as though any of the other men she may have had interest in would have been silently claimed by one of the other women, and she didn't know if someone like Merlin would ever come her way again.

Necia sighed and walked away, leaving Jade to her dismal thoughts. Merlin, of course, could never leave Arthur. Not when he had something much bigger to focus on. So if she _did _sleep with him, she could expect the same outcome as Necia's short-lived romance. And Solana's.

Jade went back to Merlin's room, deciding she'd use dinner as an excuse to leave and not talk to him anymore. She might lose the tiny seed of restraint Necia had planted inside her if she did.

Upon arriving, she saw what looked like a large stone door blocking the entrance to Merlin's room. Those were rarely used in the cave – Solana had had one by her room when Miriam was born so that if her daughter woke up in the middle of the night, it would not disturb the rest of the girls, and Jade faintly remembered one in front of Necia's room the night her fiery friend had brought a man into her bed…

Jade pushed the rock away (the rocks that were used for entrance-blocking inside the caves were always very light) and came into the room, moving the makeshift door back into place as she did so.

"Merlin, I-" Jade stopped when she saw a second dinner sitting next to Merlin.

_Damn it._

"Naiya was looking for you, I told her we were talking, and she made this weird shrieking noise and left this for you," Merlin explained sheepishly. "And a few minutes later Kaia came and put that rock there."

"…Huh." Jade didn't think it was necessary to tell Merlin the other men probably wouldn't be getting their "doors" until much later that night.

_Now leaving would just be rude. He'd see I'm making excuses to get away from him. _Jade sighed softly. "Well then… where were we?"

Merlin gave her a smile with something on his face that looked like relief. Jade returned his smile and sat next to him with her food.

"So tell me, what sort of magical creatures do they have on the other side of the forest?" Jade asked, taking a sip of her wine.

Merlin gave a soft chuckle. "Everything from dragons to serkets to wyverns."

Jade sensed how something inside Merlin flared at the mention of dragons.

"Do you have a special connection to any of these creatures… dragons, namely?" she asked.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold for half a second. "I'm a Dragonlord."

Jade was glad she'd read all the books on magic she could get her hands on – Dragonlords were rare, especially after the Great Purge, and she had limited knowledge on them.

"You can command all the dragons?"

"Well, there's just one now," Merlin said. Jade saw his eyes cloud over with sadness. "But yeah. Wyverns, too."

"Fascinating," Jade murmured, entranced. Merlin blushed again – he wasn't used to someone actually _appreciating_ what he could do.

They ate their dinners in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, until Jade had thought up so many questions she had to let at least a few loose.

"So do any of the knights know about your magic?"

"No, but…" Merlin's heart dropped. "One did. But he… well…"

"He died?"

"Yeah."

"How often do you have to use magic? And how do you keep it such a secret?"

Merlin gave a very dramatic sigh, and Jade had to bite back a giggle at his facial expression. "Every time the knights – including Arthur – need to leave a situation alive, really. As for keeping it secret, it… it gets… difficult." Merlin looked into her eyes with so much warmth Jade nearly shuddered from the intensity of it. "That's why it's so nice to talk to you. You don't judge me-"

"Or try to kill you," Jade joked.

Merlin actually laughed at this. "That too."

Jade looked down at both their empty plates and wine goblets, smiled to herself, and her eyes flashed gold as she recited a spell that sent all four things out the door and down the hall.

Merlin smiled as he watched this. "I thought you did spirit magic?"

"That doesn't mean I can't do other spells."

It got quiet suddenly, and for a second, Jade thought, _I wonder what is considered the most eloquent way of saying "Please please _please_ bed me tonight"?_ She wanted no one else but him to do it.

Jade was infinitely glad Merlin couldn't read her thoughts or even sense where her mind was going. But she was also glad that she _could_ tell what he was thinking. He was definitely lusting after her, and now she didn't think she could turn him down. But one of them had to say something, and Jade knew Merlin was too honorable to suggest it. She just hoped he wasn't too honorable that he wasn't going to act on his wishes.

"Merlin," Jade began slowly, "I was wondering if maybe you would like to spend the night with me."

_Well, there it is_. Without realizing it, she held her breath, waiting for a response. _It's out there now. I can't take it back._

Merlin's mouth went dry and his words got stuck in his throat. His only coherent thought was_ Thank God she's braver than I am_.

Merlin licked his lips before leaning in and catching Jade in a scorching kiss. She responded immediately, and Merlin's hands went to her hips, pulling her onto his lap. Once she was there, Merlin's mouth moved down to her neck, finding the spot that made her give a soft groan and sucking on it.

Jade let her fingers tangle in his hair, encouraging him to stay there. For a minute she thought she might be content to let him stay there all night, until she realized she wanted more.

"M-Merlin," she stuttered out, wishing she could say something else, maybe something a little more intelligent. Merlin took the hint and pulled away from her neck, smiling at her. Jade couldn't resist going back in for another kiss.

_Not long ago, _she thought, _these were just sweet, simple kisses._

Now every move they made was feverish, and Merlin let his hands go all over Jade's upper body until they slowed down when the reached the top of her cleavage. He paused and looked into her eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly. Jade nodded. Merlin's nimble fingers began to undo the laces of the bodice of Jade's dress, and slowly the fabric fell away from her chest and pooled at her waist, leaving everything from her stomach up bare.

Merlin willed himself to not stare at her breasts for more than three seconds – he didn't want to embarrass her or make her feel uncomfortable before they'd even properly done anything. He took his hands from her shoulders to her breasts and was just beginning to enjoy the feel of them when Jade quickly said "Wait!"

Merlin took his hands away from her body. _She changed her mind_, he thought, dreading what she was about to say.

"I… shouldn't we be on the bed or something?"

Merlin almost sighed in relief. "I thought you were going to say you wanted me to stop."

Jade shook her head emphatically. "No, no, no, definitely not."

"Good." Merlin grinned before he took Jade in his arms, picked her up, and carried her bridal-style over the bed.

Jade felt as though her smile was permanently stuck on her face as Merlin gently placed her on the warm furs of the bed. She gazed adoringly at him as he reached up and removed his shirt, admiring the way his slim torso looked illuminated by the fire. Actually, she was admiring the way his whole body looked illuminated. It was like he was some sort of god standing in front of her.

The bed dipped as Merlin got on the bed with Jade, his legs on either side of her hips. Jade ran her fingertips down his chest and over his stomach, stopping when she reached the ties of his breeches.

"Go ahead," Merlin breathed, and that was all the permission Jade needed to make quick work of the ties. Merlin helped her push them down his thighs, and he kicked them the rest of the way off. He assisted Jade in removing her dress – it was a fairly simple process, and once they were both completely bared to one another, Merlin leaned down to kiss Jade's forehead, brows, cheeks, and nose, stopping every so often to go back to her lips. He then kissed a line from her jaw to her neck, then down to her breasts.

Jade's breath hitched as Merlin's tongue made contact with her nipple, and her back arched off of the furs. She already felt like she was on fire.

"Jade," Merlin whispered against her. Jade was too awestruck to answer as Merlin's hands crept up her thighs, still not quite where she wanted them…

"Jade." Merlin pulled away, and Jade let out a small whine from the back of her throat.

"Jade, is this… this isn't your first time, is it?"

"It is. I'm a virgin."

Evidently, this was news to Merlin, as his eyes widened. "God, but, you seemed so… like you… then Jade, I don't know if I can-"

Jade grabbed his forearms. She didn't want him to be chivalrous right now. At least, not as chivalrous as he seemed intent on being.

"Merlin," she said forcefully, staring into his eyes. "I want it to be you. I want _you_ to have me." Jade sincerely hoped this was the last of the talking they would be doing. She was barely able to form coherent sentences as it was.

Merlin's hands began moving back up her thighs, so close to her center now that her heartbeat sped up to new levels. He parted the folds of skin and slowly inserted one finger into her wet core.

Jade closed her eyes, letting a sound that was something between a sigh and a cry of pleasure escape her mouth. She didn't know how something that had once seemed so simple could bring her so much physical pleasure. When Merlin put in a second finger, Jade moaned "Yes…" rather loudly, and immediately was embarrassed by how wanton she sounded.

This, however, only seemed to encourage Merlin. He removed his fingers and Jade opened her eyes to give him a questioning look. He smirked as he saw her enlarged pupils and the glaze of arousal over them. Lowering his head down, he replaced his fingers with his tongue, and Jade couldn't stop another cry of pleasure from coming out of her.

She reminded herself she at least had to _try_ and be quiet – there was no need to assure that everyone in the cave knew what she was doing.

As Merlin began moving his tongue experimentally, Jade's suppressed noises of delight were strangled in her throat. She couldn't help but wonder if he was a virgin or not. If he was as inexperienced as she was.

_I'd almost think he was, if he wasn't showing me he knows exactly what he's doing._

Then Merlin's tongue and teeth brushed against Jade's clit and she released the smallest of screams – she just couldn't stop herself. Merlin's mouth continued to pleasure her that way while his fingers returned to their place inside her.

"Ah… fuck, Merlin…" Jade knew what was going to happen next. She could feel it burning inside her body. "Merlin, for the love of Gaia… please don't stop!"

Jade's orgasm tore through her, and her shouts got much louder than they had before. She gripped the furs beneath her desperately and saw stars behind her closed eyelids, all the while feeling Merlin licking away all of the fluid he could get to.

Jade was breathing rather heavily as Merlin slinked back up to her side and lay down next to her.

"That… was…"

"Best you ever had?" Merlin offered with a cheeky smile.

"Something like that." Jade smirked as her hands found their way under the sheets and between Merlin's legs. "That was amazing, really," she whispered, keeping her eyes glued to his and watching them grow wider when she glided her fingers smoothly over his erection.

"Good?" she asked.

"Fantastic." Merlin moaned as Jade took his erection in her hand and went back and forth over it.

"Jade, wait, I'm not gonna last, not like this…"

Jade pulled her hands back and situated herself so she was half-lying on top of Merlin with her forearms on his chest.

"Then you should probably take me now."

When Merlin moved them so that he was on top of Jade, positioned to enter her, Jade's hands moved up to his shoulders, holding him closer. He didn't protest – in fact he seemed more than comfortable with it. And Jade didn't really know what this was for him – a quick shag in the forest with a pretty girl, or something more? His thoughts weren't giving him away – they were all certainly of her, but that was all she could gather.

Her nails dug into his skin as Merlin slowly pushed into her, and all the while Jade's eyes were closed. She felt the sharp pain go through her – she knew it would fade, but damn it, it _hurt_. And her breathy gasps informed Merlin of this.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "It gets better."

"I know," Jade whispered. She let out a low groan as the pangs of pain faded and she began to feel the pleasure in the moment as Merlin slowly began to move. When he pulled out and thrust back in, Jade's moans became louder, and as she moved her body to a synchronized rhythm with his, all other thoughts faded away except for the ones involving Merlin. Jade wanted to remember how every touch, every thrust of her hips, and every soft kiss on her neck sent her a little bit closer to going over the edge.

The feeling of an approaching orgasm swept over Jade once again, consuming her completely. She could tell Merlin was close as well – his thrusts were becoming more rushed and uneven - almost desperate for release. Jade's back arched up for the second time that night, broken words spilling out of her mouth as she gave Merlin everything she had.

Seeing Jade reach completion was apparently Merlin's breaking point, for just seconds later, he came inside her, breathing heavily into the crook of her neck.

Neither moved for a few minutes – they just relaxed and tried to catch their breath. Jade was beginning to come to terms with what had just happened… and she realized Solana and Necia had been right. Sex made her feel different. And now Merlin had something of hers that she could never give to anyone else… she wished for a moment he could read her mind and understand what that meant to her, since there was no way she could ever say that out loud.

"Should I stay or do you wish for me to leave?" Jade asked quietly as she lay on her side, looking at Merlin. Merlin turned his head to stare into her eyes.

"If you want to stay, you can."

"Merlin, my question was do _you_ want me to stay?"

"Yes. I do."

Jade moved to cuddle up with Merlin, who welcomed her into his arms. He kissed her forehead gently, and Jade found herself falling asleep almost immediately. Her last thoughts were tiny, almost miniscule doubts that she would wake up with Merlin by her side.

* * *

Despite what Necia told her, Merlin had fulfilled his promise, and when Jade woke up she felt a range of mixed emotions – she was glad Merlin had kept his word, but on the other hand, they had limited time together. It was no longer raining, and Jade was sure the rest of the men were eager to get home.

Jade moved around in bed, rousing Merlin out of his rest as well.

"Thank you for staying," he whispered sleepily.

"Thank you for everything," Jade whispered back, putting a hand gently on the side of his face. Merlin covered her hand with his own and leaned in to kiss her.

"Jade," Merlin muttered against her mouth, "do you think your family… or anyone else… knows that we-"

"No," Jade said quickly.

"I didn't ask if you _wished_ they didn't know."

Jade frowned. "Was I that obvious?"

"Kind of."

"I don't regret it," she assured him. "I don't. I just regret that… after last night… you have to leave."

Merlin didn't say anything; he just got out of bed and prepared silently for the journey back to Camelot, a perpetually sad look on his face. Jade watched him the whole time, her eyes burning with unshed tears.

"Merlin," Jade said quietly. "Here." Jade reached down to the floor and picked up her dress, feeling around inside the many pockets. "Take this," she instructed, handing him a woven bracelet with green gems on it. "Those are jade stones... they stand for clarity, healing, and protection. It is also infused with spirit magic. I hope it will keep you safe on your journey back to Camelot."

Much to Jade's delight, Merlin accepted the bracelet, and stared at it on his wrist for a moment before looking back at Jade.

"Thank you," he murmured, kissing Jade.

* * *

The five women of Gaia's Circle gathered together to see their visitors off. Jade couldn't look any of the men in the eye.

"Jade," Arthur began, "thank you so much for bringing us back here last night. I don't know what we would have done if it wasn't for you. Necia, Solana, Naiya, and Kaia, thank you for giving us shelter."

As Arthur expressed his gratitude, Jade looked over at Necia, who was looking respectfully at Arthur but kept glancing over to Merlin. Necia had obviously figured out Jade's current situation on her own. Jade wondered how long it would be before everyone else she lived with knew.

_Probably mere hours,_ she thought.

"If there's every anything you need – a place to stay…" Arthur's eyes scanned the cave, "come and find me."

Solana nodded politely. "May Gaia keep you safe on your way back home." All five women bowed.

Arthur stared at them with a perplexed expression on his face, trying to understand what they meant until Elyan nudged him.

"Oh, um, thank you," he answered, guessing it was some sort of blessing.

"Gaia's their goddess," Merlin whispered as they turned to exit the cave. Arthur gave him a look.

"And how would you know so much about them, _Mer_lin?"

Merlin's gaze flickered back to Jade, who was looking right back at him. Her eyes shone with sadness.

"I listen," Merlin said nonchalantly, shrugging it off and giving Arthur a smile he hoped didn't look as fake as it felt.

"_Right_," Arthur said, as though he didn't believe him. You spent an awful lot of time with that Jade girl last night."

"She's interesting."

"I bet she is," Arthur chuckled. Merlin tried to smile again. Arthur's teasing was light, but he had no idea of the guilt that Merlin was feeling as looked at Jade for the last time before walking out of the cave and out of her life.

* * *

Jade knew she was pregnant with Merlin's child nearly a month after he'd left with King Arthur and the knights. Gaia herself had visited Jade in a dream...

_The moment Jade saw her goddess, she kneeled immediately in front of her._

_ "My lady Gaia… why have you come to me?" Jade asked shakily. She'd heard of Gaia visiting her children just before they died, so she had reason to be nervous._

_ "My daughter, please look at me," Gaia requested softly. Her voice was the most beautiful thing Jade had ever heard. It was just as the voice of a goddess should sound._

_ "Yes, my lady Gaia?"_

_ "Jade," Gaia said, giving her daughter a soft smile. "You are with child, my dear."_

_ Jade could not help herself; she gasped. "W-with child?"_

_ Gaia nodded. "The warlock Merlin's child."_

_ Jade's voice was stuck in her throat and could not move past her lips for a few moments. "I… I'm going to be a mother?" Jade began to feel hysterical. "My lady Gaia, I am not sure I can-"_

_ "Hush, Jade, and stand up," Gaia said in a soothing voice. Jade stood, and looked up at her goddess._

_ "You are going to be a mother, yes. Now, Jade, has anyone ever actually explained to you what being a spirit user of Gaia means?"_

_ "N-no," Jade answered, trying not to cry. It was too many emotions all at once._

_ "Jade… you have always felt that you are not useful to your family because you have a hard time doing things with your magic. I'm sure you have been told that spirit takes longer to manifest itself, which is true… but it will not emerge from you."_

_ Jade's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sorry my lady Gaia, I don't understand."_

_ "My daughter, your child will be born with incredible magic. Not so much as Merlin – his power will almost never be equally matched – but your spirit is going to manifest itself in your child. When he or she is born, your spirit powers will be given to them."_

_ "So… I am just a vessel for this magic?" Jade asked sadly._

_ "Oh, Jade, I understand how you feel. But you are bringing a great gift into the world. Your child will be able to communicate with people like no one else, even if that ability does not show itself verbally, because your child with have incredible empathy. Your child will have raw magic from the very depths of the earth. Your child will have great power, and perhaps someday even be able to understand people's souls."_

_ "I… I just…"_

_ Gaia clutched Jade's hands. "I love you, my daughter, and I know how overwhelming this must be."_

_ "My lady Gaia… I have many questions, but there is one that I must ask."_

_ "Ask it."_

_ "What of Merlin?" Jade asked desperately._

_ "My daughter, tell me this: did you love him? _Do_ you love him?"_

_ "I adored him during the time we spent together, my lady Gaia. But is that enough to be considered love? I do not think that it is. I think I would have to have been with him longer to have fallen in love."_

_ "You see things with clear sight, Jade. Spirit shows itself in more way than you know. Well, dear, Merlin is set to be made the court sorcerer of Camelot. Very soon, in fact."_

_ Jade's heart swelled with joy for Merlin. In her mind, she saw his smiling blue eyes._

_ "And that means Albion is just on the horizon?" Jade asked, feeling much better._

_ "Yes," Gaia said, smiling back at Jade. "Being with you helped Merlin gather the courage to reveal his secret to King Arthur and the knights, and after weeks of deliberation, Merlin was able to gather sorcerers to pledge their allegiance to Camelot, and they convinced the king to life the magic ban. And of course, the king needed a sorcerer he could always trust, someone to keep control over things… of course, he picked Merlin."_

_ Jade sniffled and wiped away tears that were now of happiness._

_ "Of course."_

_ "Jade, if Merlin had never been with you… this might have taken more time. He might have waited much longer to tell Arthur his secret. You need to know this."_

_ Jade nodded, feeling calmer. "Thank you so much, my lady Gaia."_

_ "You are welcome, my beautiful daughter. Give my love to the rest of your family, will you, dear?"_

_ Jade smiled. "Of course, my lady Gaia."_

The next morning, Jade of course had to tell the other members of Gaia's Circle of her visit from the goddess, therefore revealing that she'd slept with Merlin. No one seemed too scandalized by it – after all, she certainly wasn't the first to give in to the temptation of sex. They all swore they loved her and would support her completely, and Jade told them they would never know how grateful she was to have them.

Eight months later, Jade was having her child.

Jade was not in labor for long – her child, a son, emerged without any complications and was completely healthy. Jade knew she could not have asked for anything more as, for the first time, she held her crying baby boy, who was still covered in the remnants of his birth, but there was still one thing that weighed heavily on her mind.

"I… I wish he was here," Jade choked out as Kaia took her son and wrapped a blanket around him to keep his small body warm.

"I know," Necia said, who was still holding Jade's hand. She had been there the whole time, letting her Jade squeeze her hand as hard as she needed to throughout the whole ordeal.

"I think you two will meet again," Naiya said softly, looking down at the floor. She was on Jade's other side, holding Jade's other hand. "In this life or the next."

Jade couldn't respond to that.

Kaia once again handed Jade her son, who was now cleaned up and had stopped crying, and as Jade looked into his eyes, she instantly fell in love. She had known him for mere seconds and yet she would die for him had anyone asked. She finally understood the intense love Solana felt for Miriam. Then, looking closer, Jade realized that her son had black hair. Just like Merlin's.

Her heart thudded inside her chest – it was evidently confused by her love for her baby and her agony as Merlin's absence suddenly hit her a lot harder than it had the morning he'd walked out of the cave and out of her life. She missed Merlin, but above all, she knew her son would miss his father.

Then Solana, as always, was the soothing, calm wind of Jade's life as she watched tears leak out of the new mother's eyes and race down her cheeks. Solana smoothed Jade's hair down, running a cool hand across her friend's forehead.

"It's over, darling. You did wonderfully. Now all that's left is a name."

Jade closed her eyes and clutched her child closer to her heart.


End file.
